Man stabbed through the head with flagpole outside fast-food restaurant

04 August 2023 , 13:52

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Clinton Collins allegedly attacked the unidentified victim by shoving a flagpole through his skull (Image: Tulsa Police Department)

A man is lucky to be alive after a convict drove a flagpole, complete with flag attached, through his skull at a fast food restaurant.

The Oklahoma man was allegedly attacked by Clinton Collins at around 7.30pm on Wednesday, August 2, at a Sonic in the Tulsa Hills neighbourhood, Oklahoma, in front of multiple witnesses.

As he reportedly stabbed the man with the makeshift weapon, Collins allegedly said: "That's what he gets. He deserved it."

Police said the police entered the victim's head beneath his jaw and exited the other side of his cranium near his right temple. Collins was taken into custody immediately and charged with maiming.

Police explained: "The pole entered the victim's head beneath his jaw and exited the other side of his head near his right temple area. The American Flag was still attached [to] the pole at the time."

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Officer Danny Bean told 2 News: "Like you'd see in a TV show or a horror movie, ran at him and stabbed him through the head. Went through the bottom and out through the other side."

The incident happened in a Sonic in Tulsa (Google)

The police department said the American flag was even still attached to the pole at the time of the attack. Firefighters were left with a bit of a predicament and due to the size of the pole they ended up having to cut off part of the flagpole so the victim could fit inside the ambulance.

Despite the violent attack, the victim is likely to only lose an eye, according to police. They said: "Miraculously, we're told the victim will survive his injuries, but will likely lose an eye."

Maiming is a felony crime in Oklahoma that carries a punishment of up to life in prison.

Police did not give any further details on what led to the strange attack inside the fast food chain. WItnesses told investigators they saw Collins charge at the victim and stab him with the flagpole, according to the police statement.

As he is a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, it is unclear whether his case will be handled in tribal court or US District Court. The Muscogee (Creek) Nation District Court said it did not have information on Collins, although it can take a few days for a case to arrive.

In 2020, the Supreme Court ruled that Oklahoma prosecutors lacked the authority to pursue criminal cases against defendants who are tribal citizens in a large chunk of eastern Oklahoma because it remains an American Indian reservation.

That area includes most of Tulsa - the state's second-largest city. However, last year, the Supreme Court ruled that Oklahoma can prosecute non-Native Americans for crimes committed on tribal land when the victim is Native American.

Fiona Leishman